Build-it: A Midrange Gaming PC

By
Daniel S. Evans29 Oct 2009, 7:49 p.m.

Hard-core gamers constantly dream up bigger and better ways to kick their gaming experience up a notch. But for most of the gaming population without the means to have the biggest and baddest gaming rig out there, the ultimate gaming system is one that provides enough horsepower not to shame them on multiplayer games, enough expansion room to make upgrading a possibility, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

When we sat down to plot out a midrange gaming system, we thought long and hard about how to spend the $1,600 we'd allotted for it. Do we go with a couple of rock-star components, or spread the hard-earned cash evenly around the system? Did we want to splurge on a fast processor or on multiple graphics? We ended up cutting a few corners to keep the costs down, but the components we ended up choosing gave us a solid system that can easily be upgraded in the future.

The bulk of my budget went to my 2.93-GHz Intel Core i7-870 processor. I plan to push this system pretty hard, and with overclocking the 870 can reach 3.6GHz. Also, because this is going to be a Windows 7 build, the Core i7 chip's Hyper-Threading functionality becomes especially important. Windows XP and Vista had problems scheduling multiple threads and sometimes multiple threads would be routed to the same core, causing performance problems. These problems have been worked out in Windows 7, so this quad core should perform like an octo-core.

I paired this chip with a Gigabyte P55-UD6 motherboard because, as I said before, we are going to be doing a lot of high-voltage work with this build and this board was made for that. There is a quick-boot button on the board itself for a quick reboots as you try and find the perfect settings. It also has a 24-phase VRM (voltage regulator module) design that ensures a smoother power transfer and keeps the heat down. It has 12 SATA ports—10 onboard and 2 external—so there is a lot of room to expand internally.

The center of any gaming PC is the GPU. I went with the brand new Asus EAH5850 card, bearing one of AMD's new Radeon 5800 series of GPUs. This is DirectX 11 ready, and the card is stocked with 1GB of DDR5 video memory. What I really like about this card is the "Voltage Tweaking" that lets you play around with voltage on your GPU just like you would on the CPU. You can adjust the GPU voltage from 1.088V to 1.4V, and that should boost your GPU clock speed from 725 MHz to 1,050 MHz. It also jacks up your memory clock speed from 4,000 MHz to 5,200 MHz.

I went with a familiar case I'd used before, the Thermaltake Element G, because of its design and spacious interior, but I decided that if I was going to overclock this gaming rig, I would need a heavy-duty cooler. The Thermaltake Spin Q CPU has a stylish aluminum, barrel-shaped design and blue running lights, and will also work with several different socket types if I choose to upgrade my motherboard later. For memory, I went with a couple of 2GB RAM sticks from CSX. The memory comes with cooling fins atop it, which will help because I am only air cooling this unit.

Okay, now that I've laid out how we put the unit together, there are several ways you could build a PC pretty close to this one and save yourself some more money. First of all, you can downgrade the processor from the i7-870 to the i7-860 and save almost $300. You could also go with the Asus EAH5750 and save another hundred dollars there, but you wouldn't get the Voltage Tweak feature, and that is a 128-bit card. That being said, it is also a DirectX 11 card, and will still run all the latest games. Memory is another area where you could save another hundred dollars—instead of the CSX you could use memory from Corsair or Kingston, both companies sell 4GB kits for about $80. Finally, you can always find a cheaper, lower-capacity hard drive.

Step 1) Open up the side of the case. Set the case on its side on a flat surface.

Step 2) Insert the motherboard risers into the case.

Step 3) It's time to install the CPU. First, release the socket lever by moving it slightly sideways, then raise it to a 90-degree angle. Line up the chip, but don't force the chip into place. When you have the CPU lined up, bring the lever down and lock it back into place to make sure that the CPU is held securely.

Step 4) Place a dollop of thermal paste on top of the chip. The compound conducts heat well and increases cooling efficiency by filling in the small spaces between the CPU and the surface of the heat sink.

Step 5) Install the cooler on top of the CPU and clip it onto the motherboard.

Step 6) Insert the RAM. The memory slots you use (you'll see several) will depend on your memory configuration, so consult the manual before you install the sticks. The RAM modules are designed so that you can't put them in backward—if one isn't going in, don't force it.

Step 9) Remove the front panel of the case and then take out the temporary face plates.

Step 10) Install your graphics card and hard drive.

Step 11) Slide your optical drive into the front of the case.

Step 12) Now that all the hardware is installed, it's time to start wiring. Find the 20-pin power socket on the motherboard, and plug in the matching power-supply connector. Do the same with the power plug that mates with the four-pin socket near the CPU. Finally, connect all of the leads from the external USB ports, indicator lights, the status display, and audio jacks to their appropriate motherboard partners. Next, do the same with the leads from the internal drives.

Step 13) Your work assembling the hardware is done. Now you're ready to load Windows 7 and get to work—er, play.

About the Author

Dan Evans is the DIY Analyst for PCMag.com. He has been at the magazine/website for over 10 years and during that tenure has worked on every product team here. When he is not building a PC from scratch he is reviewing laptops, desktops, and videogames. Before coming to PCMag.com he earned a BA in US History at Columbia University and was a member of the oldest collegiate wrestling program in the country. In his spare time he is the co-host of a sports/tech podcast www.thesportscircuit.com. See Full Bio